Duleep Trophy 2024: Suryakumar Yadav hails Tilak Varma's terrific century as "best birthday gift"

Team India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav heaped praise on his Mumbai Indians (MI) teammate Tilak Varma for his century during the clash between India A and India D. Suryakumar Yadav described Tilak Varma's century in the ongoing Duleep Trophy 2024 as the best birthday gift for him.

Suryakumar celebrated his 34th birthday on Saturday, September 14. The swashbuckling cricketer was named the permanent T20I captain before the Sri Lanka series, which India won 3-0. Yadav will next lead the team in the upcoming three-match T20I series against Bangladesh in October.

Meanwhile, Tilak Varma smashed a brilliant century in the second innings for India A after a disappointing outing in the first innings. The southpaw scored his fifth century in first-class cricket. The left-handed batter scored an unbeaten 111 runs off 193 balls as India A declared the innings at 380/3.

Grand Come Back Post Injury Phase - Suryakumar Yadav Lauds Tilak Varma

Taking to his Instagram account, Suryakumar Yadav penned a sweet note after Tilak Varma's century during the ongoing match. Yadav said that Varma made an impressive comeback after recovering from injury.

"Best birthday gift. Grand come back post injury phase. Coastal road is nice and smooth," Yadav wrote.

Suryakumar Yadav's Instagram story for Tilak Varma ❤️ pic.twitter.com/CrHgcixg2D

— CricketGully (@thecricketgully) September 14, 2024

On Day 3, India A began with a score of 115/1, with Pratham Singh at the crease. Tilak Varma came in and added 104 runs in partnership with Pratham Singh, who scored 122 runs. After Pratham's dismissal, Varma formed partnerships with middle-order batters Riyan Parag and Shashwat Rawat.

India A scored 290 runs in their first innings, with half-centuries from Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian. In response, India D struggled to score runs and were dismissed for just 183. Fast bowler Harshit Rana took four wickets and Khaleel Ahmed and Aaqib Khan each secured three in the first innings.

Happy Birthday To Our T20I Skipper And Mr. 360 With The Bat - Jay Shah

BCCI Secretary Jay Shah shared a special birthday message for Suryakumar Yadav. Shah wished Yadav future successes and extended best wishes for the year ahead. Shah praised Yadav for his leadership and performance, especially following the 3-0 series win against Sri Lanka.

Sharing a post with Suryakumar Yadav on X (formerly Twitter), Jay Shah wrote; “Happy Birthday to our T20I skipper and Mr. 360 with the bat, @surya_14kumar! I'm excited to see you lead the Men in Blue to many victories in the shortest format. Best wishes for the year ahead!”

Happy Birthday to our T20I skipper and Mr. 360 with the bat, @surya_14kumar! I'm excited to see you lead the Men in Blue to many victories in the shortest format. Best wishes for the year ahead! pic.twitter.com/i7onMG8Ttt

— Jay Shah (@JayShah) September 14, 2024

Yadav had also led India to a 4-1 series win against Australia last year. He has guided the team to seven wins in 10 T20I matches as captain. Yadav took over the captaincy after Rohit Sharma's retirement following the 2024 T20 World Cup. Hardik Pandya wasn’t considered for the role due to fitness concerns.

SKY has scored 2,432 runs in 71 T20Is at a strike rate of 168.65, including four centuries and 20 fifties. He was named ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year in 2022 and 2023. Yadav was also a key player in the T20 World Cup-winning team and took a catch of David Miller in the final against South Africa.

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